The former Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta has inked a new deal, three years with a $4.5M AAV. Gionta spent the last five seasons in Montreal, captaining the organization to two Eastern Conference finals appearances. It’s believed Josh Gorges accepted a trade to Buffalo because Gionta was coming.
Last year saw Gionta, 35, primarily in a shut-down role, situated on the third-line. His offensive production wasn’t up to par with what management expected, despite receiving ample time on the powerplay and five-on-five. Scoring just 18 goals and 40 points in 81 games, Gionta had a chance to correct his lack of production during the playoffs but fell short, scoring just 1 goal and adding 6 assists in 17 games.
The Buffalo Sabres should not expect anything more out of Gionta than someone who plays excellent defensively in his own end, and works the neutral zone well enough. His offensive awareness is minimal, with his primary and seemingly-only play once gaining the offensive zone is to fire the puck on net, directly into the goaltender’s chest.
Still, 485 points (249 goals, 236 assists) in 776 career games is nothing to scoff at. Neither is a Stanley Cup ring, back in 2002-03 when the New Jersey Devils won it all. If situated in the right slot with linemates that can produce, Gionta could be a fit in a team’s top 6. However based on what we have seen the past 3 years, Gionta is best suited for a third-line, top 9 role, playing an up-tempo defensive game while contributing every now and then offensively.
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